Video Volunteers’ Impact: School returns illegally collected exam fees students in Gujarat

The Constitution of India has clearly stated that education is the responsibility of the State towards its people. But the State has failed repeatedly, deliberately or otherwise, to fulfil this mandate, giving rise to the private sector. The Indian education system is mired in corruption where rampant illegal admissions, absent teachers and exclusion of children from the educational sector.

Video Volunteers' Gujarat community correspondent Bipin Solanki took a mighty step in his district of Dhangadra, Gujarat to expose the blatant corruption in the educational sector with the help of a video report. Ajit Sinh Government school of the district were collecting 'extra fees' for the upcoming board exams from the secondary and the higher secondary students, in the name of examination fees. The report finds that parents had to pay more than double the fees prescribed by the government. Already struggling to make the ends meet through menial jobs, most parents had to make ends meet, in order to avail their children access to education.

Based on the video report, he motivated almost 50 students of the school to make an official complaint to the District-level School authority of Surendranagar district with the concerned authorities and bring about change themselves. The issue was not only resolved, but the excess 'fees' were duly returned to the families.

The impact achieved in Gujarat through a video report is a proof that community-driven journalism works to bring about effective change.

This video was made by  Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Bipin Solanki for IndiaUnheard .

Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. These stories are ’news by those who live it.’  they give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges. See more such videos at www.videovolunteers.org. Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change

 

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